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Craft Right Brain Reader Teaching Guide
CONTENTS
I. Introduction
A. About this program Page 1 B. What’s included Page 1 C. Who benefits Page 2 D. Right Brain Teaching Strategies Page 2-3
II. Guide for Daily Reading Sessions Page 3 How do I use these Readers?
A. Option #1 Page 5 For students with mild reading problems & beginning readers
B. Option #2 Page 6-7 For students with moderate reading problems
C. Option #3 Page 7-10 For students with significant reading problems
III. Reader Placement Test Instructions Page 11-13
IV. Reading Tests
At Bat………...1-A Page 14
The Big Win…1-B Page 14
You Rock…….1-C Page 15
Looking Up…..2-A Page 15
Think Big…….2-B Page 16
Grand Slam…..2-C Page 16
Game On……..2-D Page 16
Dianne Craft “Right Brain” Learning System for Struggling Learners
Child Diagnostics, Inc. [email protected]
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Craft Right Brain Reader’s Teaching Guide The Boring Little Books that Always Work!
About this program
Congratulations. You have in your hands a unique
reader specifically designed for fast success with
even the most struggling reader, including students
with dyslexia. Originally created for struggling
readers of all ages, this method is truly one of a
kind. Anyone can use the readers and find success!
This carefully engineered, Orton Gillingham based
phonics method, introduces sounds and sight
words in a manner that ensures success for even the most struggling student. Experience has
shown that this this Right Brain visual reading method will work when others haven’t. The Right
Brain Reader uses the imbedding technique to teach phonemes with picture and color directly
on the reading pages. This imbedding takes all the stress out of memorizing sounds.
The “Instant Success” Sight Word cards created specifically for the stories are included with
each Reader. This makes word memorization much easier. We have also found, that by using
colored transparencies (also included) we can greatly reduces the stress on a child’s visual
system. This helps to reduce reversals, “wiggling words,” and skipping of words.
What’s included in this Craft Right Brain Reader purchase?
1. A leveled Reader of your choice
2. Right Brain “Instant Success” Sight Word Cards for each story.
3. Colored Reading Transparencies (to ease the eye strain while reading).
4. Ongoing support via email. [email protected]
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Who benefits from this unique Right Brain approach to reading?
1. Any student who is working too hard to read
(Watch them bloom with these Right Brain tools)
2. Students in the low reading group
(These wonderful struggling readers who are usually reading a year behind their grade level)
3. Auditory Processing Problems
(Those who can’t remember words or sounds easily…applying phonics is a mystery to them)
4. Any student with an IEP for reading
(Originally created for Resource Room students, many of whom were labeled “twice
exceptional”….or gifted with a glitch)
5. ESL (English as a Second Language)
(Right Brain, visual/picture imbedding method works so well for this population)
6. Any beginning reader
(Prevent problems before they start! With the “Instant Success” Right Brain Sight Word Cards,
and Right Brain Phonics Cards, this is the fastest start for any student)
Right Brain Teaching Strategies
Are all struggling students right brain learners? No. We call right brain teaching, “Plan B: We
know that the right brain is more of our “visual” brain. It works best and stores information
better when color, picture, emotion and meaning are attached to the data. The right brain is
our long-term memory storage unit.
We call teaching that is more left brain in its approach, “Plan A”. The left-brain tends to be
more “auditory” and data driven, learning facts that are unrelated easily. When a student is
struggling with learning, it is often best to try a completely different approach. Since most
reading programs rely on the more left brain strengths of auditory memorization of phonemes,
phonics rules, and sight words, we change the teaching technique to include more strategies
that teach to the right brain strengths such as picture, humor, story, color and emotion. This
process takes the stress out of the system for a student with an Auditory Processing Problem.
We can think of this as the “Universal Learning Method” because pictures are the universal
method of communication. As we know, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
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Why no pictures?
Our struggling readers are very bright, and quickly learn to “guess” at words on the page by
using the picture as their guide. They often appear to be able to read much better than they
can, by using this method very expertly. It is only when they need to read a page without
pictures that we realize how dependent they had become on picture-clues. Thus, we have
found for this population, that it is best to omit the pictures.
That’s why we call these, “The Boring Little Books That Always Work!”
Guide for Daily Reading Sessions
How do I use these Readers?
Three options to achieve reading success: (Depending on the level of needs of the student, and the time available for reading)
Option #1: Using Right Brain Readers Only (20-30 minute session) Option #2: Using Right Brain Readers plus Right Brain Phonics Book (Oral Practice only, 35-45 minute session) Option #3: Using Right Brain Readers with Right Brain Phonics Practice plus Brain Integration Therapy. (45 minute-1 hour session)
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Success using the Readers (20-30 minutes…4 days/week)
For the student with “mild to moderate” reading difficulties.
What does an Option #1 reading session look like using these unique readers?
Each student should have his/her own reading book.
Step 1: Right Brain Sight Word Cards… Talk about the zany pictures imbedded in the Sight Words for
the story. Practice the Sight Words together by taking a mental “picture” of them. Then keep the cards
on the table during the oral reading.
Step 2: Pre-Reading…practice reading the words from the Pre-Reading list in the front of the story.
Some use a flip chart or white board to write the words in colored marker, to review quickly all week at
the beginning of each lesson.
Step 3: Oral Reading… Have students take turns reading a short passage aloud, correcting them as
little as possible.
Begin a new story the next day, but before you do, review the Sight Word Cards from the previous
story and Pre-Reading words before teaching any new words. No need to re-read the stories, since there
is so much repetition built into the stories.
(For more details see the Daily Lesson Plans for a Struggling Reader in downloadable form on website,
www.diannecraft.org)
Option #1
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More success (35-45 minute session)
For the student with moderate reading difficulties.
Replace. Replace your traditional phonics program with the Right Brain Phonics Book.
With these additional Right Brain strategies, you will experience even more success with your
students. Using the Right Brain Phonics Cards, you will see much faster success with decoding
words. No writing. No rules. No memorization. This method only uses the Right Brain Phonics
cards, lists of words with the decoding unit in color for easy reading, and daily oral practice
using these specific, imbedded Right Brain Teaching Strategies. Kids feel so smart using these
cards and practice method.
(For more details see the Daily Lesson Plans for a Struggling Reader in downloadable form on website,
www.diannecraft.org)
What does an Option #2 reading session look like using the readers plus the phonics practice?
Step 1: Oral Decoding Practice from the Right Brain Phonics Book
(Detailed instructions on how to use these colorful word lists can be found in the front of the
Right Brain Phonics Book)
This daily oral decoding practice can be done with each student having a copy of the Right Brain
Phonics Book in front of them, or using a Smart Board or Opaque Projector with the list of words
in color.
When teaching more than one student at a time, it is best to have the phonics card (decoding
unit….such as “au/aw” or “oi/oy”) that you are using for that lesson, clearly visible to all for
quick retrieval. If the students have their own book, they will have the Right Brain Decoding Unit
(card) in front of them on each page.
Option #2
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Set the timer for 15 minutes.
During the 15 minutes, each student takes a turn reading (decoding) a word in the list. If he/she
has trouble with the word, re-write it, with a colored marker on blank paper or a white board,
etc. Make it larger. Show the right brain phonics card again. They usually “get” the word after
working with it in that manner. Thus, they will become more confident each day with this “code”
reading with the aid of color and picture.
Stop reading when the timer goes off. The next day you will start your session on the same
page, and continue to read words with the decoding unit in color for 15 minutes. We do this four
days a week. We are not reading to mastery, but to expose the child’s “camera” to the
phoneme and its’ sound, visually. (These instructions are also in the front of the Right Brain
Phonics Book.) This is so worth the time. Rapid progress is seen using this method. No writing,
No Rules and No Memorization makes it so much easier for students to quickly learn how to
decode words.
Step 2: Sight Word introduction…. (as in Option #1)
Step 3: Pre-Reading…. (as in Option #1)
Step 4: Oral Reading…. (as in Option #1)
Most success (for very brittle readers) (45 minute-1 hour session)
For the student with significant reading difficulties.
For students who experience reversals in reading or writing (on/no, was/saw), or have an
Auditory Processing Problem or an IEP or test 2 years behind in reading, I incorporated the
powerful daily midline exercises found in the Brain Integration Therapy Manual. This made a
huge difference in my students’ processing abilities, (eye tracking ability; auditory
processing…hearing sounds and syllables in words; and writing processing…fluency, spacing,
etc.).
I used this method for my most brittle readers, and those with dyslexic-like tendencies. In my
Resource Room, I almost always saw a two year growth in one year with these very struggling
readers (two or more years behind in reading), when I used the Three Pronged Approach of:
Option #3
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1) Craft Right Brain Readers; 2) Right Brain Phonics Practice; 3) Brain Integration Therapy. It
was most gratifying to see the students change from experiencing failure to success as the
teaching year unfolded.
In my years in the classroom working with struggling learners, and in my private clinic , Child
Diagnostics, Inc., in Denver for fifteen years, I have seen nothing else that reduces learning
blocks and disabilities in children and teens faster and better than Brain Integration Therapy
with its’ daily targeted midline exercises and the powerful once-a-week individual Brain
Trainings. You will actually see reading and writing reversals be greatly reduced or usually
totally eliminated in nine months, no matter what age the student is. It is the most remarkable
tool I have found to greatly reduce the effect of Auditory Processing Problems. Students find
they can sequence auditory information, sound out long words, and remember the names of
words, after doing the Brain exercises for the school year. I have never found this method of
using the body to strengthen brain connections to be ineffective. It is my greatest weapon in
my battle to release students from dyslexia, auditory processing problems, dysgraphia,
dyspraxia, and memory issues.
If you have the time, this would be the most thorough remediation method. However, not all
students need this more intensive approach. You will decide what works best for your student.
Again, for more details on how to use these three teaching/therapy methods with your
struggling students, download the free Daily Lesson Plans for the Struggling Reader from my
website.
What does an Option #3 reading session look like using the 1) Readers; 2) Right Brain Phonics
practice; 3) and Brain Integration Therapy?
For a 45 minute- 1 hour daily remedial reading session with a small group:
Monday - Thursday Step 1: Brain Integration Therapy Exercises Do the daily exercises (cross crawls, ear eights and toe touch done all together. Eye eights are best done one-on-one if possible) Do the Writing Eights exercise together (1/2 the alphabet each day) Step 2: Sight Word introduction…(as in Option #3) Step 3: Oral Decoding Practice from the Right Brain Phonic Book….(as in Option #2) Step 4: Pre-Reading….(as in Option #1 & 2) Step 5: Oral Reading….(as in Option #1 & 2)
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Friday:
This day was dedicated to Brain Integration Therapy in the classroom. Instead of doing the
daily exercises, the students are worked with, one-on-one, doing the appropriate Brain Training
(either for the Visual Processing system, the Writing system, or the Auditory Processing
system…according to the schedule laid out in the Brain Integration Therapy Manual).
While I worked with the students doing the d one- on -one Brain Training (most powerful
intervention) in a corner of the room, I had the other students listen to stories on CD. That way
they enjoyed the time learning, and I didn't have anything to correct.
This Brain Training must be done one-on-one. While it may be tempting to do this with a small
group of students, it has no value when done with a group, in my experience. Believe me.
As you progress through the year, you will see progress right away, but you generally will see a
big leap by Christmas. It will be like the floodgates of learning have opened up for most of your
students. It is so worth the extra effort!!
What about the lesson for that day?
In my Resource Room the reading lesson on Friday was listening to a classical story on CD. This
freed up the time I needed to rotate the students doing the one-on-one individual Brain
Training.
Many teachers of small groups did the exercises and Brain Trainings and teaching, as I did.
However, I have worked as a consultant with some schools who have employed a helper
(usually an interested mom or a para-pro) who they trained to do the exercises and once –a-
week individual Brain Trainings. These helpers pulled out the students one by one into a
nearby room to do the once a week Brain Training. This way the teacher could use Friday to do
another reading session. But the reality is, that most schools, private tutoring sessions and
home schools, have only one adult/teacher in charge of their program. This four-day a week
teaching and one day a week brain training schedule worked very well, and brought huge
benefits by the end of the year.
It is so important to find a way to get the 15-20 minute once-a-week Brain Training session
done with each student. This is what eliminates the blocked learning gates so that the child can
make the two-year growth in reading and writing by the end of the school year.
The success of this reading program was based on four days a week of direct instruction with
an individual or small group.
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IF you have already done the individual once-a-week Brain Trainings with the students during
the week, then you can follow this schedule for your Friday reading session:
Step 2: Oral Phonics practice…(as in Option #2)
Step 3: Sight Word introduction…. (as in Option #1)
Step 4: Pre-Reading…. (as in Option #1)
Step 5: Oral Reading…. (as in Option #1)
Some “Nitty Gritty” Details
I usually had about 5 students come to my Resource Room at one time for a reading session. I
had tested them previously, so that I knew they were fairly homogeneous in their needs. (i.e.,
beginning reading, or dysgraphia/spelling, etc.) just so I could work in a group as much as
possible. They were usually at about the same level of learning (not grade, of course).
When the students first came into the classroom, we all did the Brain Integration exercises
together. I had them stand on a masking tape line I had placed on the floor, and stood in front
of them modeling the exercises. I called out the exercises like a "sergeant". For the ear eight, I
did it with them (I frequently had my hands on one of them helping them) saying, "around up,
cross the midline up, around up, cross the midline up, around up, cross the midline up…change
arms, around up….etc."
For the eye eight exercise some of them had to stand still while I worked with one at a time, if
they made their circles too wide, too fast, or didn't keep their eyes on their thumb. This is such
an important one, that I frequently had to do it one on one while the others waited.
Then we sat down and did the writing eight together, while I called out, " up and around 1, up
and around 2, up and around 3, 'a', up and around 1, up and around 2, up and around 3,
'b'….etc.) for the entire alphabet. If some of them went too fast or too sloppy then they
received a "lunch voucher" from me, inviting them to eat their lunch with me in the classroom,
after which we did the writing eight together one on one. That was very effective. I told them I
loved their company and hoped they would join me for lunch and the writing eight more
often. Of course, that was not their desire. (However, I found that I always enjoyed their
company).
We are looking forward to working with you! Feel free to email me questions about your
students, (no names, of course), and I will help you think through the next step.
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Craft Right Brain Reader Placement Test Instructions
By Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP, www.diannecraft.org
The Placement Test for The Craft Right Brain Readers is designed to place students at the
appropriate reading level. This starting point of instruction should allow the student a chance to
perform at a level that is comfortable for him/her. This “instructional level” is found by using
the attached word lists. The word lists will correspond to an appropriate Craft Right Brain
Reader. Again, our goal is to find a level that feels “just right” for our readers. We don’t want
them to be frustrated during this process.
The word lists cover phonetic words and common sight words for 1st and 2nd grade. If your child
tests at a 3rd grade level or above, then you will need to use the Quick Score Reading Test,
which is also enclosed in this reading packet. The red spiraled, Right Brain Phonics Program
book will still be the main teaching manual, up to 5th grade, but the books the student will read
a “story” from may be different than our Craft Right Brain Readers. At this point, we do not
have all of the Craft Right Brain Readers available. Eventually, our goal is to have readers up
through the end of 3rd grade.
Our Population:
In designing this assessment we have taken our population into consideration. Often these
children/teens have been identified as struggling readers, many times with Dyslexia (two or
more years behind in reading, with frequent reading and auditory reversals). Remember that
these bright, hardworking, but very brittle readers will often know a word one day, and not the
next. They may know a word on one list, but not another. Their words often scramble, or the
letters reverse as they look at them. They may be able to read harder words, and then struggle
with easier ones. Fluent reading is not what they do. They may need to stop and sound words
out, rather than just reading them, “fluently.”
That’s why we ask, as you start this assessment process, that you use your best
judgment/common sense when counting errors. We have not come up with all the
“possibilities” of how a struggling reader could read, or misread words. That’s why we give a
larger margin of word errors for these children than most assessments would. We know our
population. They are the ones you have in front of you every day… puzzling in so many ways.
But they are so bright, and so easily taught when we use the right methods.
Our method is a Three-Pronged Approach: 1) Brain Integration Therapy; 2) Right Brain Teaching
Strategies; 3) Targeted Nutritional Interventions, that brings us the success we are looking for.
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Test Administration:
Find a quiet place to work. Before you get started, you may find it helpful to have blank paper
and magic markers available, so you won’t have to interrupt testing.
Start the student on List #1-A, no matter where you think he is. If the words are too easy, that
will be positive for the child. If some of them are hard, then you know where to begin your
remediation.
To help the child feel less nervous while taking the assessment, DON’T use watches to keep
track of time or write down errors. Keep track of errors and time in your head…(don’t worry,
you only need to count to 5 and 10).
Have the student read the word list, starting from the top. Use a blank piece of paper to cover
up all the words on the list, except for the word the child is reading. Tell the student to read the
words on the list the best he can. If reading the word list is challenging for your child, you may
get better results by writing one word at a time from the list, with magic marker, on a separate
piece of paper. Often when the word is written out in front of the child, (with no teacher
coaching), he will feel more confident sounding out the new word. This is because the word is
written larger, and not on a “test” paper.
If your child/student pauses at a word for more than 10 seconds, tell him he can skip that word
and continue to the next. If he says a word incorrectly, you can ask him to read it again. If it is
still incorrect, just say, “Thank you” and move on. (DON’T tell them the word.) Count these both
as errors. (In your HEAD, remember, you can do it!)
As mentioned above, most of these children will have to sound out the words and will struggle
with their fluency; we still count the word as correct, as long as we are NOT giving clues to the
child as he is attempting to read the word. If your child reads a word wrong, and then corrects
it, this is also considered correct.
Test Conclusions:
If the student misses 0-5 words on a list, this level is considered his Independent Level. The
Independent Level would be too easy for your child. This level of reader would be one the
student would read recreationally, not instructionally. Have the student read the next higher
list, if available.
If the student misses 6-10 words on a list, this is the Instructional Level we are striving for. This
should be the appropriate level of text for them.
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If the student misses 11- or more words on a list (not necessarily in a row, but in the whole
column), then this reading level is too difficult for your child. This is the Frustration Level. Stop
testing and start at the list just before that word list. This should be his Instructional Level.
What happens if your child is basically a “non-reader” and gets many of the words wrong, or
can’t even attempt them in the first reading list? (Those are our favorite students, by the way.)
If he gets more than 15-20 words wrong in List #1-A, you would still start with the very first
reader. By introducing the sight words slowly, like we do in the Craft Right Brain Readers, your
child will soon get these words. Also, starting with basic sounds in the First Reader and the
Right Brain Phonics Reading Book, and by using the Right Brain Phonics Cards and Sight Word
Cards, (which should always be on the table in front of the child), he will begin to learn these
words…even when other methods have failed. By using these right brain methods along with
the Brain Integration Therapy, more connections to the long-term memory are being created.
Just trust us. It will happen!
Lastly, remember these word lists are guides. You ultimately know your student best. Err on the
side of caution. It’s better to start in an easier Reader and go up, then one that’s too
challenging. Again, we don’t want to frustrate the student. We want to help them feel
successful, especially when it comes to reading.
Start with Reader #1-A (At Bat!) if the child missed 6-10 or more words in List #1-A.
Start with Reader #1-B (The Big Win!) if the child missed 6-10 words in List #1-B.
Start with Reader #1-C (You Rock!) if the child missed 6-10 words in List #1-C.
Start with Reader #2-A (Looking Up!) if the child missed 6-10 words in List #2-A.
Start with Reader #2-B (Think Big) if the child missed 6-10 words in list #2-B (available July 2016)
Start with Reader #2-C (Grand Slam) if the child missed 6-10 words in list #2-C (available July
2016)
Start with Reader #2-D (Game On!) if the child missed 6-10 words in list #2-D (available July
2016)
***Be sure to use the “Daily Lesson Plans for the Struggling Reader” as your complete reading
session each day. ***
If you find yourself struggling with questions and are really confused, you can email us
questions at [email protected].
Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP
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Craft Right Brain Reader Placement Tests
List #1-A (At Bat!) my hat look pat mad van tap naps ham lad bam rag see lab fan dab cap jam her jab wag sat bad an his pan map by yam she
List #1-B (The Big Win!) are mix fit pin kid said rid fig dim lip little cut bun rub pug have jug pup yum suds happy six took from bit wig rim zip with
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List #1-C (You Rock!) fog cop cot box bet good fed men peg sell down very mill hiss kick mock duck chap play math thick fuss batch pitch wick make bench punch they less
List #2-A (Looking Up!) shop shack fish hash hall hang song king ripped begged missing humming mend wind fond dent pants sink bank last fist chest mask gift left kept help belt milk jump
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Level 2-B (Think Big!) chest nest vest past last dust must fist mist dump jump camp task mask desk disk gift loft soft belt welt milk silk hulk sulk bank thank sink bunk junk
Level 2-C (Grand Slam!) floss flap slim sled clam clock glum glob bliss black pluck plot grill grip drop dress crab crush fret frog trim trap bring skip stem swam brand spend slant mint
Level 2-D (Game On!) blame tame rake alive tape safe cane side pipe wife male brave rose cove bone jeep street tree heel mail paid rain hair weak leaf star farm baking diving smiled
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Resources on the website
RightBrainDOLCHSightWordCards
Doyouhavekidswhostruggletomemorizesightwords?
StoptheStruggle!Kidseffortlesslylearntoreadandspellthesesightwords!
RightBrainReadingPackageBecomeYourChild’sOwnReadingSpecialist!
